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A source within Russia's Ministry of Defense told Gazeta.ru that the Navy's aircraft carrier group is ready to launch a strike targeting Daesh terrorists in the province of Aleppo in the next 24 hours. The attack, which will likely engage Kalibr cruise missiles, will target militants outside of Aleppo, and not the residential areas.

The group, which includes Russia's 'Admiral Kuznetsov' aircraft carrier, 'Pyotr Veliky' nuclear power guided missile cruiser and two destroyers, has completed its transfer to the Mediterranean Sea and is getting ready to strike, the MoD source said.

"The group's main goal is to carry out missile strikes on terrorists outside of Aleppo that are attempting to get into the city", the source added.

He also said that Kalibr cruise missiles will be used in the strikes, but did not specify from which ships the missiles will be launched.

No Russian surface ship that is currently in the Med is capable of firing the Kalibr-NK missiles, but submarine-launched Kalibr-PL could be used in the strike. The surface-launched type of Kalibr missile could also be launched from the Caspian Sea.

​Right now final details of the strike are being worked out, the source told Gazeta.ru, including zeroing in on the terrorists' locations, finding out the details of their transport routes, base camps and storage and training facilities.

"The strikes will avoid the city of Aleppo to prevent civilian casualties, because terrorists continue to use city residents as human shields."

Russian and Syrian fighter jets have ceased all flights in a ten-kilometer radius around Aleppo on October 18, after which Daesh terrorists began advancing on Aleppo.

On October 28th, a group of militants attempted to breach the eastern part of the city, using tanks and infantry fighting vehicles for support.

Syria's Aleppo has been the scene of fierce battles between Syria's army and militants holding the city's eastern districts. Fighting has escalated in recent days since militants announced an offensive and fired missiles on government-held districts of western Aleppo.

Russia introduced an earlier humanitarian pause in October, to ensure the safe evacuation of civilians and unarmed militants from eastern Aleppo through designated corridors. That pause collapsed when Jabhat Fatah al Sham (also known as Nusra Front, or Jabhat al-Nusra) militants prevented civilians from fleeing Aleppo and attacked them, prompting an offensive by government forces.

Why Russia sailed its navy thousands of miles to Syria when it brings 'nothing' to the battle

ALEX LOCKIE
NOV 17, 2016, 2:31 AM

Videos showed cruise missiles launching vertically from destroyers, tipping sideways, and then rocketing towards Syria’s Aleppo as well as operations aboard Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov.
But according to experts, as flashy as this naval show of force may be, it adds nothing.

According to Gorenburg, hauling an aircraft carrier, a nuclear-powered battle cruiser, two destroyers, a tanker, and the tug boat that accompanies the Kuznetsov in case of a breakdown, “didn’t add anything,” to Russia’s military capability in Syria “but it caught everyone’s attention.”

“There’s been an effort over the last few years to show that Russia has some of the same capabilities as the US,” said Gorenburg. “One prominent example was those cruise missile strikes from the Caspian Sea, to show that they have the standoff cruise missile capability.”
And the first-ever combat deployment of the Kuznetsov aircraft carrier represents another great attempt to mimic the US’s military power.

“They have one aircraft carrier, it’s not the most reliable,” said Gorenburg about the Kuznetsov, which had to be towed almost 3,000 miles back to Russia after breaking down in 2012.

Gorenburg pointed out that the Kuznetsov came bearing new aircraft: MiG 29Ks. But these naval variants, suited for the type of strike missions necessary in Syria, haven’t yet been put to combat use.

Additionally, one of the MiG 29Ks crashed on Monday when returning to the ship.

In part, Gorenburg says the naval deployment to Syria can be seen as a sales pitch, as Russia hopes to export cruise missiles and aircraft: “They have used the Syria conflict for showing off their arms for customers, but that’s more with regular [not naval] aircraft.”

The real purpose behind the deployment, however, is “more to demonstrate to NATO and the US that they have this capability, and it’s something else you have to keep in mind.”

Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman echoed Gorenburg’s statements to the Washington Examiner: “There’s not a kinetic effect that they bring that can’t already be brought with the forces that they have there.”

“From a pure military perspective, Russia already has significant capabilities inside Syria. They have nearly two dozen strike aircraft that are based there,” Davis said.
So Russia hasn’t added any new capabilities to the field, but risked dragging out its relic of an aircraft carrier. Experts agree that the naval deployment to Syria is a message from the Kremlin: We’ve arrived as a naval power, so look out.

December 16, 2016: Russian naval officers recently learned. Or were reminded of, an expensive lesson. Off the coast of Syria Russia’s only aircraft carrier (the Admiral Kuznetzov) lost two aircraft because of problems with the arresting gear (the cable the landing aircraft connects with as it lands to end the landing sequence). Russia has had problems with arresting cables before. In 2005 a Su-33 was lost due to an arresting cable snapping. This occurred when on the Kuznetzov while it was operating in the Baltic. By 2016 it is believed money shortages led to Russia buying fewer cables and not replacing as frequently as their American counterparts. The money shortage also meant that Russian naval aviators got to spend a lot less time landing and taking off from their carrier. As was observed after the 2005 incident, the Russian aviator involved had spent a lot of years flying, but not much time operating off a carrier. It’s all about experience and the lessons learned.

American carrier sailors have long since learned to pay attention to the condition of these cables. The U.S. also has have far more experience with using carrier landing equipment. For example, in 2011 the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) had its 400,000th aircraft landing, after having been in service for 50 years. Only three other carriers have handled 400,000 landings. The first to do so was USS Lexington (CV 16), a World War II Essex class ship that served 48 years (1943-1991), but spent 30 years as a training carrier. Then came USS Independence (CV 62), which served 39 years (1959-98). Next came the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), which served 48 years (1961 to 2009). Thus American carriers much older than Kuznetzov rarely lose aircraft because of a bad arresting cable because the pilots and deck crews know what is needed to get it done without suffering a cable related aircraft loss.

Not only do Russian pilots and carrier deck crews get less practice, but they have a reputation for not maintaining their equipment as effectively as their Western counterparts. In addition the Russians don’t have the latest equipment. For example in 2007 the U.S. Navy began using the ARC (Advanced Recovery Control) system. ARC replaces the older, analog, system for operating the arresting cable (stretched across the deck) that stopped a landing aircraft by catching the tailhook found on carrier aircraft. ARC uses software and digital controls to monitor the landing, and put the arresting cable at the right position to stop landing jets. ARC is easier to use and maintain, and is more accurate. Thus it also reduces damage to aircraft and injuries to crews.

The recent aircraft losses on the Kuznetzov were not unexpected. In early November, for the third time since 2011 came south, via the English Channel on its way to the Mediterranean. Leaving northern Russia on October 15th the Kuznetzov task force arrived off Syria a month later. The carrier had seven escorts (three warships and four support vessels) and is carrying fifteen Su-33 and MiG-29K jet fighters plus at least ten Ka-52K, Ka-27 and Ka-31 helicopters. Foreign military pilots flying close by could not help but notice that there was a lot of rust on the deck of the carrier. This was not a good sign. The only other ship of the Kuznetzov class was purchased by the Chinese in 1998 and completely refurbished by 2012 to become the Chinese Liaoning. It is now in service and looks a lot better than the original that serves as flagship of the Russian Navy. The Kuznetzov has had some updates since the 1990s but a lot of this work is suspect. Back in 2012 a military procurement official was prosecuted for substituting cheaper, substandard parts for new ones meant for the Kuznetzov. The corrupt official used forged documents to get away with this but members of the crew noticed the substandard parts and reported it. The Kuznetsov has been sent back to the shipyard several times during the last decade to fix problems and update equipment. Much was wrong with the ship, due to poor design, sloppy workmanship, or corruption. It’s gotten so bad that lackadaisical sailors are threatened with being sent to serve on the Kuznetsov as a way of motivating them. These cruises south are mainly for publicity purposes.

Not surprisingly China is paying more attention to American carrier experience than what the Russians are going through.

Russia is a country with a long game, PRC is a tactical power with a tactical game, Russia has so many resources, real mineral resources not an artificially balanced currency, really really strategically located bases , real research scholars in every field from espionage to science. Russia has neighbours that have known real Russian kindness and real Russian wrath. PRC has 4 neighbours with large nuclear stockpiles two of which, Pakistan and 🇰🇵 are dependent on Russia while its erstwhile colonies like Singapore and Hong Kong have already prepared themselves for both an economic and military showdown. This is while neglecting that Britain is now again an Atlantic superpower, not an artificial entity tied to Europe, and India have learnt and practiced expeditionary warfare from the Brits, they did not buy a Varyag as a showpony but greedily guarded their assets for a real showdown, and their armoured fleet has learnt armoured warfare from the Russians. Finally of course the biggest PRC buster is Vietnam, from the Legion to Ladybird to all those tough guys, none conquered it and when PRC tried their own fickle game, it ended in the loss of two of their largest corps and two provinces gone for good.

Hell, PRC hasn't even invaded Taiwan yet and they've been saying they ll do it since WW2. Oh no, I don't think PRC has the balls or the internal cohesion to cause ANYONE any harm anytime in the foreseeable future.

I almost forgot to add the Israeli tech angle being retrofitted to all Indians systems these days but never mind , I shall now step off my soapbox.

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The wisdom of the ancients has been taught by the philosophers of Greece, but also by people called Jews in Syria, and by Brahmins in India
-Megasthenes, Greek Ambassador to India, 300 BC

Why is it that on June 4th 1967 I was a Jordanian and overnight I became a Palestinian? - Walid Shoebat, PLO terrorist

PS , almost forgot to add, the largest airforce in the 🌎 and specially in the IOR is the US Navy

__________________
The wisdom of the ancients has been taught by the philosophers of Greece, but also by people called Jews in Syria, and by Brahmins in India
-Megasthenes, Greek Ambassador to India, 300 BC

Why is it that on June 4th 1967 I was a Jordanian and overnight I became a Palestinian? - Walid Shoebat, PLO terrorist